You’ll be able to better grasp Sanderson’s style, voice, and Cosmere-building. I also feel like Mistborn is easier to digest as it’s a more compact story, while Stormlight embarks on truly epic proportions of everything. The mainline story is already finished, so you can enjoy a complete, stand-alone storyline compared to Stormlight, which might take another decade or so to complete. If you haven’t read any Sanderson books yet, then Mistborn will also be an easier introduction to his works. Looking at book volume alone, Mistborn is the clear winner. The Stormlight Archive is a planned 10-book epic fantasy series currently at its fourth book, while the Mistborn series are a set of three trilogies, which is currently at its second trilogy, or the sixth book. If you’re wondering whether you should read Mistborn or Stormlight first, it really does depend on your preference, but let me give you my personal two cents. Should I Read Mistborn or Stormlight first? The best part is that it’s planned out to be a trilogy of trilogies, so expect a lot of enjoyable reading hours. This is (in my opinion) the best place to start discovering Sanderson’s universe.

Perhaps the most well-known of Sanderson’s books, Mistborn showcases his particular genius in creating unique magic systems and fleshed out world-building. When one oppressed person “snaps” and finds himself a mistborn-a person who can draw power from metals- he turns his talents of trickery and thieving into toppling the Lord Ruler’s regime. Elantrisįor a thousand years, the Lord Ruler has dominated a world constantly drowning in ash, ruling it through absolute power and terror. If you’re having trouble choosing which book to start with, my personal list of favorites may be of help. Newbies might find Sanderson’s works daunting at first, due to the shared universe element, but each of them works excellently as a stand-alone. These worlds are mostly unaware of each other, which effectively keeps the stories separate yet while still exhibiting common elements.

Taking these shards, the sixteen conspirators travel to new worlds and populate them with different forms of magic. Known for his elaborate plots and unique magic systems (which are often based on science), most of his works unfold in the Cosmere, a shared universe where a mysterious being called Adonalsium is killed by sixteen conspirators, and its powers shattered into sixteen shards. It’s rare to find a consistently prolific author who can churn out excellent stories time and time again.

Brandon Sanderson is undeniably a king of fantasy fiction.

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